Patient Care Technician Salary

Patient care technicians are a very important part of the medical team, as they take good care of the patients. Not everybody can become a good patient care technician, given the fact that this job requires a lot of skill and empathy, not to mention that a good PCT must also be very attentive to the needs of their patients. The mean yearly salary of a patient care technician in the United States of America varies anywhere between $15,000 and $45,000 a year, depending on the employment type, the experience of the technician as well as the location.

Pay Scale In Different Areas Of The United States of America

Alabama pays its patient care technician a mean yearly salary of no less than $39,000 a year, while the state of Connecticut offers them around $41,000 a year. California is one of the highest paying states, with a mean yearly wage of $42,000, followed by Illinois with $40,000, Arkansas with $38,000 as well as Mississippi with just under $42,000. The state of Indiana also pays its PCTs a mean yearly salary of $38,00, and so does the state of Maryland.

Patient Care Technician Job Description

These health care professionals work in a wide array of clinics, rehab centers, hospitals and nursing homes, and they typically deal with either disabled or severely injured patients, or with those who are mentally ill. The duties and responsibilities of a typical patient care technician are many, and these professionals usually assist nurses and doctors during medical examinations.

In some cases, the PCTs may also set up all the therapeutic equipment, record and monitor the blood pressure of patients along with their temperature and pulse rate, record the overall health condition of the patients and report it to the medical authorities, serve them meals and look after their personal hygiene. It is not uncommon for the patient care technician to also help the patients get dressed or bathe, in some cases.

It is the duty of the patient care technician to make sure that the room is clean, and that the lacerations that resulted from prolonged bed rest are clean and properly irrigated. These health care professionals may also need to collect and test various specimens that will be sent over to the laboratory.

Programs:

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Programs:

UNE Online, through the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, strives to enhance, expand and enrich learning opportunities in online programs. The UNE Online staff is highly invested in the success of each enrolled student from application to graduation and beyond.

Programs:

Master of Science in Health Informatics - Training and Development

MS in Health Informatics

Master of Science in Health Informatics - Health Data Analytics

And more...

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Most of the patient care technicians nowadays work in hospitals or similar clinical settings, where they help their patients do their daily tasks. Generally speaking, the patient care technician also has the skills and knowledge of the phlebotomy technician, given the fact that they often need to collect blood samples.

The first step toward becoming a patient care technician is to become a CNA, and fortunately all the community colleges have a program that helps you get a deeper insight in the field. Schooling only takes a few months, and you need to focus on an accredited training program, as only this way you will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam later on. Once you get certified as a CNA, it is highly recommended to get some practical experience in a home health care facility, a nursing home, a hospital or an adult day care destined to mentally challenged adults. Only after that you can move on to becoming a PCT, and you can apply for a full-time position.

Certification

If you plan to become certified as a patient care technician, then you should know that certification is essential for validating your abilities, skills and knowledge as a PCT. Certification is essential not only for the health care workers but also for the employers, as you will have more chances to get employed. At the same time, if you plan to work independently for people who need your professional assistance, a certification will also give your employer the peace of mind they need, knowing that they have hired a professional.

Becoming a certified patient care technician can take several years, and after you have graduated from an allied health vocational program of training, you will need to get at least one year-experience in the work field.

Patient Care Technician Salary In Canada, Australia And The United Kingdom

A patient care technician who works in Canada should expect to be paid anything between Ca$30,000 and Ca$37,000, while one who works in the United Kingdom is paid between 12,000 and 18,000 pounds a year. On the other hand, an Australian patient care technician should expect a mean salary between Au$32,000 and Au$50,000.

Verdict On Patient Care Technician Salary

If you are looking for a career in the medical field that will not require years of training and study, then becoming a PCT may be the best choice for you.